Welcoming more members with our new Promise

Following an in-depth consultation process earlier this year,
the wording of the Promise that our girls and volunteers make when
they join the organisation is to be updated to make guiding truly
open to all girls and women, and to create a space where those of
all faiths and none can find a home.

In the new Promise, which will take effect from 1 September, the
words ‘to be true to myself and develop my
beliefs’ will replace ‘to love my God’,
and the words ‘to serve the Queen and my
community’ will replace ‘to serve the Queen and my
country’.

The consultation, an open process with no pre-determined
outcome, gathered the views of 44,000 people – girls and adults,
members and non-members. These opinions have helped us shape the
new wording.

The updated Promise, which continues to emphasise the spiritual
development we offer, will open up the guiding family to many
potential members. ‘We hope the new wording will help us reach out
to girls and women who might not have considered guiding before, so
that even more girls can benefit from everything guiding can
offer,’ says Chief Guide Gill Slocombe.

Apart from a simpler Promise for Rainbows (girls aged five to
seven; four to seven in Northern Ireland), Girlguiding will not be
providing alternative versions. ‘Guiding believes in having one
Promise, which is a clear statement of our core values that all our
members can commit to,’ says Gill Slocombe.

The new Promise reads:

I promise that I will do my best:
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs,
To serve the Queen and my community,
To help other people
and
To keep the (Brownie) Guide Law.